Below is the outline I use for a guideline to create a Value Stream Map and to mimic a customer’s buying process. I have written many times and have an eBook (Mirror Marketing) on the subject that you should Mirror your customers buying process in developing your marketing strategy and tactics. I choose this flow diagram for several reasons. The Six Sigma tools involved in the DMAIC process complements the steps of the buying process. The Involve, Influence, Interaction, Intimacy and Commit stages are central to the patterns you must create during the customers buying process.
Most businesses are very consistent when they are making a purchase decision and practically any purchase is taken through a process. Below is the process most customers will go through and you can see how it correlates to my standard outline above.
Many people might not consider the Awareness stage but I believe that is critical in today’s marketing. Seldom does a purchase occur today simply starting when a buyer realizes or recognizes they have a need for the product. Most business decisions are still purchased from someone they already are aware of or there is a direct connection to them even if it is only a Google Search.
Your Value Steam Map should mimic your customers buying patterns and provide/supply the information that enables them to make a decision. This material supports or creates the action to move to the next stage, not necessarily to buy. You may find out interacting with one value stream that they need only to attend a webinar to support the transition from evaluation to purchase. While in another channel it may require that the webinar is attended during the research phase and a free trial is needed before a purchase is made.
Buyers will buy different through different channels and your tactics will have to be different or in different order depending on the value stream. For example, a value stream may be created for a dealer network, direct sales, internet sales, part sales, etc.
The Customer’s decision making process also will vary in length and the number of decision makers. It is safe to say the higher the cost of the product the longer the time it takes, the more material reviewed and the greater number of people involved in the process. Price will also affect what purchase method is used (P.O., Online, In-person, etc.). These all our critical factors in determining your value stream and ultimately in how you manage your value stream.
The key to successful implementation of Value Stream Marketing is getting this right. You may even understand your marketing/sales channels but the level or how deep you go into the process may be difficult. There is no right answer. Drew Locher of Change Management Associates in the Business901 podcast and in the Lean eBooks section on this site gives a great definition on this particular subject.
The other day, I discussed Your Marketing Vision should define your Customer’s Core Problem, but how do you go about doing it. A simple exercise that I found useful was depicted in a book True Purpose: 12 Strategies for Discovering the Difference You Are Meant to Make
Stay away from editing it as much as possible, except for your grammar of course. You will water down the statement trying to appeal to everyone versus the segment you are actually marketing too. Do not worry about alienating anyone that is the purpose, discrimination in this sense is not bad! Tim says, “Remember that moving forward on your purpose means saying “no” to jobs, clients, and customers for whom your purpose is not appropriate. Therefore, your public purpose should be a simple and clear articulation in of what you do and who you do it for, in the most purposeful terms possible.”
Steps to creating your Need Statement:
1. Write down the list of possible options you need to choose from.
2. For each option, write a list of pros and cons.
3. Read each statement and rate them by the most useful aspects of your product or service.
4. Ask for advice from salespeople, customers, dealers and other stakeholders within the marketing segment. It is best to read it out loud to a client, such as an elevator speech would be used. The worst thing you could do is to do this by yourself.
5. Weighing these factors make a choice. It does not even have to be the best choice, just the one you choose to live with.
6. Now, try it out. If a sample client “doesn’t get it” then you may need to change the wording, not the meaning of the statement. If you statement inspires, you are ready for prime time. 7. If your sampling struggles with what you are offering, re-think your strategy going through these steps.
8. Re-read what others said about your offering.
9. Using what others said, brainstorm different ideas on how to say the message.
10. Now try different combinations of the 2 list to come up with simple statements that describe what you do and for whom you do it for.
11. Read the statement out loud to others. See which one creates the most interest.
I may go one step further. Play telephone with a group of 4 to 5 people. The message that comes through the last person is more than likely the message that will get transmitted throughout the rest of your marketing process.
P.S. If you are getting ready to map that Customer starting point in your Value Stream Map, this is what you write in that little box with the sawtooth shape on top.